This invention relates to the field of ink jet printers, and more particularly, to the field of mechanisms utilized to project ink or other liquids from orifices.
It is often desirably to add ingredients to a woven or non-woven web or substrate to enhance the qualities of the web and offer additional features. One example of an added ingredient is an aloe-based emollient added to a cellulose-based web, to add both softness and other features contained in the aloe.
A problem exists, however, in applying multi-component mixtures, such as, but not by way of limitation, microemulsions, to a web. Such mixtures tends to destabilize upon contact with the web. Further, due to this destabilization, the efficacy of the active ingredient(s) tends to decrease. Migration of the mixture or some ingredients of the mixture within the web matrix is also of great concern. In addition, such multi-component mixtures tend to destabilize upon contact with a web or substrate. In order to better control the application and maintenance of a multi-component mixture on a web, it is necessary to deposit the ingredients at specific sites and protect their composition once it is deposited on a substrate or a web.
To address these problems, a multi-headed concentric ink-jet print system is utilized. Such a system desirably has a chamber provided by piezoelectric heads or members having piezo-electric crystals. The piezoelectric heads or members are connected to a control system, which permit the inner chamber to eject a droplet of a multi-component mixture or encapsulant while, simultaneously, an outer chamber surrounding the inner chamber ejects an encapsulating agent. As the mixture generally forms a spherical droplet, the encapsulating agent simultaneously provides an outer coating such that when the droplet is completely formed and ejected, the encapsulant is completely encapsulated.
Such a system permits encapsulation of a single liquid or a mixture of liquids. Similarly, such a system also permits greater control of the size and shape of the droplets, as well as the arrangement, positioning and distribution of the encapsulated droplets on a substrate or web. Such a system may utilize both piezo-electric heads or members and pneumatic pressure to control the ejection of encapsulated droplets.